Heaven's Child
by Ayamekashi
Summary: An AU. On the outside, Shuichi has everything: he attends a top college, has plenty of friends, money and loving parents. But something is missing, and his heart is empty. Then he meets Yuki, a disgraced guardian angel, and the healing journey begins...
1. Prologue

First of all, I must warn you people that the characters may be slightly OOC seeing as how I gave them a completely different past from the original story. Remember, this is an AU. So, please don't come throwing flaming fireballs at me.

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**Disclaimer: **Gravitation belongs to Maki Murakami-sama.

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**Heaven's Child**

**_Prologue_**

A four year-old boy with unusual violet eyes ran down the empty street, breathing heavily. Looking back, he gave a sigh of relief to discover nobody behind him. Brushing away a mixture of sweat and tears with the back of his hand, he looked up at the still-dark sky. He hadn't learned to tell the time yet, but he knew it was very early in the morning.

Slowing his run down to a walk, he wandered about aimlessly. He didn't recognize the area; after all, he had never been here before. A splashing sound met his ears and he continued towards it until he caught sight of a park. Entering it, he saw a fountain and neared it.

Having never seen a fountain before, he watched in fascination as water gushed upwards and was pulled down again by gravity. He propped himself up with his arms as he leaned closer, peering into the water. Wondering if splashing the cold-looking water would get him into trouble, he shot a furtive, almost guilty look around. The park was empty save for a few pigeons pecking at the ground. That, and coupled with the lush green surroundings with the sound of splashing water made a beautifully peaceful scenery.

Peace was good.

He hadn't had much peace ever since that day, when he woke up to find himself lying on the hospital bed, feeling strangely empty. He couldn't really remember what had happened but he knew there had been a lot of crying, and creepy silence.

Taking one last look around, he blinked when he noticed a standing figure watching the birds. Funny, he had been certain he was alone. The person's back was facing him, silky-looking blond hair fluttering a little as a gentle morning breeze caressed it.

Even as he watched, the person with nice-looking hair shifted slightly as another bird landed near him. The boy could see his eyes now; he didn't think he had ever seen anything as pretty as the pair of startlingly molten gold orbs. The silent figure was, to his simple mind, beautiful. He decided he was an angel.

But why did the angel look so sad?

The fountain forgotten now, he silently snuck up on him. Without even turning around, the angel spoke. "What are you doing here, Shuichi?"

Shuichi blinked. "How do you know my name, mister?"

The angel didn't answer him. Instead, he asked, "They're pretty, aren't they?"

Then he turned around; and Shuichi couldn't stop his eyes from growing round. Close up, he could now see the seemingly endless pain clouding the angel's otherwise crystal-clear eyes. As young as adults said he was-Shuichi insisted he wasn't young; they were just old, -he could recognize the look of sorrow and loneliness; two emotions he had been getting rather well acquainted with lately.

Yet another pigeon landed on the ground, beady black eyes watching the angel almost inquisitively. Shuichi realized he was referring to the birds and bit his lip thoughtfully before agreeing. "Yep, They're really pretty! How lucky!"

The angel nodded slowly and continued watching the pigeons. "They are lucky, are they not? Not only do the look pretty, they are one of the few that have been gifted with the ability to fly. They must be very well loved, to be granted wings."

Shuichi frowned. "Are you sad, mister?"

The angel didn't reply and Shuichi's frown grew, the serious look out of place on his babyish face. He didn't like seeing the angel sad. An idea struck him and his hand dove into the pocket of his overalls. "Here, mister. A strawberry lollipop for you!"

He was satisfied to see the corners of the angel's lips quirk upwards slightly. "Thank you, but you can keep it."

Shuichi felt anxious. Didn't the angel like candy? Oh, wait. The reason hit him. "You don't like strawberry? You shouldn't be so picky," Shuichi chastised the angel sternly, imitating his mother, "but don't worry, I have other flavors!"

The quirk blossomed into a light smile. "Thank you, Shuichi. I am afraid sweet things do not agree with me, though."

Shuichi pouted for a moment before sliding the candy back into his pocket. "Okay, if you're sure." Maybe angels weren't allowed to eat sweets. He decided that must be true since all the angels he had ever seen on television didn't have cavities. Shuichi felt truly sorry for him. Poor, poor angel. He couldn't even eat candy!

A daring snow-white dove landed gracefully to perch on the angel's shoulder, folding her wings neatly. Absently stroking the dove's head, the angel looked directly into Shuichi's eyes and spoke softly, almost to himself. "God gave them wings, and allowed them to explore the vast sky as they wish; but is freedom truly theirs?"

As he voiced the last part out as a question, the dove took off, rapidly followed by every pigeon there. They all soared into the sky with the lone white dove leading, until they seemed to be mere specks against the blue of the sky before disappearing.

"Shuichi!"

Startled, Shuichi automatically turned towards the voice. His mother threw her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug, sobbing. His father was there as well, pure relief evident even with the dark eye bags-proof of sleepless nights- marring his handsome face.

"Where did you go, Shuichi? Your mother and I were so worried when you suddenly took off. Don't ever scare us like that again!"

Shuichi squirmed a little in his mother's almost suffocating embrace, feeling guilty. He mumbled an "I'm sorry."

His mother only held him tighter. "Oh, Shuichi. You don't know what a fright you gave me! After everything that has happened, if I were to lose you as well…I don't know how I could live. I can't lose you…I can't."

His father patted his distraught wife's back comfortingly, a weary look etched on his face. "It's okay, Kotoko. Nothing bad happened. He's fine."

Drying her tears, Shuichi's mother released him from her arms and took hold of his hand instead. She smiled wanly at her husband and son. "You're right. Come on, let's go home. Enough excitement for one day."

As his parents started to walk away, Shuichi didn't move, remembering the angel. He resisted his mother's tugging hand and twisted around, looking back. He frowned and wrinkled his nose in puzzlement; the angel was nowhere to be seen.

"What's wrong, Shuichi?"

Shuichi looked up at his mother's questioning gaze and pointed to the spot where the angel last stood. "I met an angel today, mommy. He was pretty. He looked so sad though. I was talking to him over there but he's gone now."

His mother stared at him worriedly and his father frowned.

"What are you talking about, Shuichi? You were alone when we found you."

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For those of you who have been reading my stories, you would know that I'm actually rather busy and have said that I would be taking a break from writing. Unfortunately, it would seem that my muse is one sadistic person-only when I have absolutely no free time does it haunt me with new ideas and inspiration. Geez. Do muses generally take after their respective authors? LOL. 

Anyway, to celebrate my 18th birthday and my survival of the Cambridge interview (thank God _that's_ over!) I'm proud to present this story!! (smiles) I hope you like it. I definitely won't be updating anywhen near as often as I did with my previous story though.. Reviews shall be seen as a motivation to update! (hint hint)


	2. Falling

Thanks for the lovely reviews and thanks to Kittey-Rin for beta-ing! Oh, and since I heard that Shuichi's hair was originally brown in the manga (I never read it), I decided to let him have thankfully normal brown hair in this story. (Edit: Some people have told me that it's not brown, but black. . which is it really? Err...anyway, do me a favour and assume it's brown in this story okay? Thanks!) lol

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**Disclaimer:** Gravitation does not belong to Aya...

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**Heaven's Child**

_**Chapter 1-Falling**_

_15 years later_

In an isolated back alley, all was quiet**-** save for a lone man, stumbling aimlessly as though he was drunk. But if one were to look into his ethereal golden eyes, they would realise he was far from drunk.

Dressed in a pair of dirty looking old slacks and a rumpled shirt not even properly buttoned, he was a mess. The fact that he hadn't shaved for weeks along with his unkempt, straggly blond hair made him resemble little more than a beggar or at the very best, a wastrel.

Yuki grunted in pain as he tripped over an empty beer bottle and landed flat on his bottom. He cursed darkly and leaned against the wall, not even bothering to retie his shoelaces that had come undone some time ago.

He hated the way he was feeling, empty and lost, and he hated not knowing why he felt that way, felt as though he had lost something terribly important and no matter how desperately he grasped at that vague feeling, the memory of it always _just _slipped away, getting in return an excruciatingly painful migraine. _Damn it, what am I doing? I never used to be this way…_

He sighed and closed his eyes, recalling the blurry years that had had passed by oh so slowly. Fifteen years. For fifteen years he had been living this ghost of a life. A filthy rat scurried out from behind an empty cartoon and squeaked at him. Yuki just gave the rat a weary smile, humouring it.

He idly wondered how the rest of Heaven was doing. He hadn't been there for a very long time. Not since his punishment had been decided. He snorted bitterly. If only they could see Heaven's favourite right now…

Yuki slumped there in the depressing darkness for ages; he was so lost in his thoughts, he never noticed the two figures watching him.

One was male, and the other a female but that was the extent of their differences. Both had mysterious cerulean blue eyes that seemed to see though everything. They wore their lavender hair long, the colour so light it was almost silver.

Should anybody have walked through the dim alley at that very moment, they wouldn't be able to see the two of them. If they could, their slightly glowing figures indicated they were not quite human.

The female watched Yuki worriedly and nibbled her lip. She addressed her brother uncertainly. "Arashi, is there really nothing we can do to help him?"

Her brother shook his head firmly, though the same worry could be seen on his face. "Hikari, you know we can't. He committed the worst sin a guardian angel ever could. We should consider it lucky that he wasn't permanently banned from Heaven."

Hikari protested, eyes dark with concern. "But it was an accident! To be sentenced to live as a human for one hundred years…they even erased his memory. Look at him-it's already been so long since it happened, and he's still so lost. I barely recognize him anymore! How is he going to survive another eighty-five years all alone without even knowing what he is being punished for?"

Arashi made a shushing movement for her to lower her volume. Satisfied when Hikari took a few deep calming breaths, he spoke softly. "I know, Hikari. I know. I hate seeing him like this too. If I could, I would take away all his pain and suffering. But we can't, we just can't. Heaven sealed his memory away to lighten the burden he carries. You know that as well as I do."

His sister sighed and look away, as though in defeat. "You're right. It's just that he's filled with so much pain and anger. If this continues, I'm afraid he'll lose himself. Angels are positive creatures. If he carries on being so negative…"

Arashi looked away as his sister shuddered, unable to continue. He knew what she was so desperately afraid of. If he continued being so negative, Yuki would disappear…he would simply cease to be. And that was if they were lucky.

In the worse case scenario, Yuki would degrade to a Fallen; a tortured soul who would never be able to rest in peace, suffering for all eternity. As much as he refused to see it, the signs were definitely there-Yuki's gentle being was already transforming to this tainted, frozen**-**hard soul.

He was Falling.

Arashi was alarmed when Hikari suddenly started coughing violently. He instantly took her hands and said gently but firmly, "We have to go. The Earth is too polluted for you to stay any longer."

Hikari nodded weakly, still coughing. She didn't really want to go but had no choice. Her particularly frail constitution disabled her from staying too long. The angelic duo took one last sorrowful look at Yuki.

The wind carried their final whisper to the dirty blond that remained unmoving in the dark grimy alley like the broken soul he was.

_Goodbye Yuki. Goodbye…_

Yuki never looked up even once.

XXX

"Again?!"

Shuichi winced as Hiro practically shouted in his ear. Digging through his backpack, he fished his MP4 player out. "Yes. You do remember how fussy Suguru is, right?"

The nineteen-year-old youth was currently in one of the lecture halls at college, waiting for his literature lecturer. All around him, the chatter and laugher of his fellow course mates rang through the air. On either side of him sat Hiro and Ryuichi **w**ho were currently staring at him in disbelief.

Ryuichi folded his arms and narrowed his eyes at Shuichi. "This isn't some kind of trick to wriggle out spending time with us again, is it?"

Shuichi couldn't help shivering a little. In his opinion, the air conditioning was set a little too cold. That and the fact that when Ryuichi decided to be serious, his usually childish mannerism took an almost scary one-eighty.

Shuichi offered his friends a bright smile, which he hoped was convincing. "No, really. I have to clean the room up. It's a real mess and Suguru threatened to dunk my laptop into the bathtub if I don't find it first."

Hiro had been chewing on bubblegum but at Shuichi's words, paused to look at him in puzzlement. "'Find it first?' What is that supposed to mean?"

"It's exactly what I said. Come to think of it, I think that was what made Suguru blow up in the first place. I was looking for it this morning and I couldn't find it. So, I figured it was probably buried somewhere underneath that two weeks pile of laundry and decided to try unearthing it."

Ryuichi began to get a bad feeling. "Hold up. What exactly do you mean '_unearthing_'?"

Shuichi just shrugged nonchalantly, wearing an innocent look. "I meant _unearthing _unearthing. I tossed everything obstructive onto the bed so that I could actually see the floor. Unfortunately, my bed wasn't big enough to hold everything so I decided to start throwing them onto Suguru's bed as well."

Hiro groaned at his casual tone. "Shuichi, you _know _how much Fujisaki hates seeing things messy. Sometimes, I even wonder how he goes through everyday with you as a roommate without having an apoplexy. All right then. So you messed his side of the room. That still doesn't explain why he lost it."

Shuichi's innocent grin grew bigger. "Ah, but you see, I threw so much stuff onto Suguru's bed, it broke."

"It _what_?!"

Hiro swivelled in his seat to stare at Shuichi in half-horror and half-amusement, bubblegum forgotten while Ryuichi merely shook his head and muttered "Poor guy. I thought something was off if that mild-tempered guy _actually _threatened you."

Hiro started laughing and slapped Shuichi's back. "Good one, Shuichi! Oh, what I wouldn't give to see the look on his face when his bed fell apart…"

Ryuichi glared at Hiro as he trailed off longingly. "Hey! You're not supposed to be encouraging him."

He turned back to Shuichi, frowning. "I guess it can't be helped then- you better clean the place up before he ends up in the mental asylum- and before we have to arrange your premature funeral. Lucky you're only staying with him temporarily **'**til you find your own place. Looks like it's another night out without you again…"

Shuichi shrugged apologetically at Ryuichi, inwardly feeling relieved he hadn't chosen to press on. "Yeah. It'll be a quiet night for me. You guys go on and have fun! Maybe I'll join you guys next time."

Following Ryuichi's lead, Hiro gave in as well, though rather reluctantly. He stared at the front of the room and grumbled "It's always next time with you…"

Shuichi's smile strained at that and he silently thanked the stars when his literature lecturer entered the room, dressed all in black, and cheekily asked the front row of students if they missed him.

XXX

Face red with effort, Shuichi lifted the mattress up and struggled to align it properly onto Suguru's newly delivered bed. Relieved when it finally fit properly, he flopped flat on his back on the cold floor, mentally making a fervent promise to himself never to break anyone's bed- whether accidentally or accidentally on purpose -again.

He lay there for a few moments with his eyes closed, enjoying the breeze blowing in through the open sliding doors that led out to a balcony. Mind wandering back to his conversation with Hiro and Ryuichi, Shuichi sighed. He knew that they sincerely wanted to spend time with him but…try as he may, he never felt like he fit in.

Oh, it wasn't that he was labelled an outcast or a freak. On the contrary, Shuichi knew he was actually quite popular among his college mates and more than a few girls had their eye on him. Still, something didn't feel quite right. Shuichi couldn't explain it.

How could he, when he himself didn't even know the reason for the constant emptiness he felt? Shuichi's heart longed for _something_- needed it, in fact so much that it hurt.

It wasn't like he had an abusive childhood or any truly mind-scarring experience. Shuichi was just…_normal. _

So normal he felt like screaming in frustration.

He couldn't even see a shrink because there was _nothing_ wrong with him. There was _nothing _wrong with his life; one could even call it perfect and not be too far off the mark. His parents doted on him and gave him everything he wanted; he went to a top college, got decent grades, friends, money, girls, _everything_.

So why did it feel like he had nothing?

Shuichi sighed for the umpteenth time that day and wearily got to his feet. _Man, I really have to stop talking to myself. It makes me feel even more depressed than I usually do. Anyway, I better go sweep the floor and hang the laundry out to dry before Suguru decides to use them as floor rags…_

XXX

Two hours later, his whole body was aching.

"I swear, Suguru's exactly like a girl! Why does everything need to be so…_clean_? The coffee table is actually…_sparkling_. I mean, as long as mould doesn't grow on furniture, and the plants don't actually die, who cares about the amount of dust we inhale or how much microscopic bug mites thrive on my months old bed sheet?!"

Stopping his rant for oxygen, Shuichi tiredly leaned against the railing on the balcony and stared unseeingly down at the street below, wondering what to eat for dinner. _Maybe I should get Suguru to buy something back for me. I practically did free labour for him today. I'm exhausted…He better be grateful… _

His mobile phone vibrated just then, rudely interrupting his monologue. Shuichi reached into the pocket of his shorts and brought his mobile out. Realising it was a text message, he flipped it open and briefly scanned through it.

As the tiny block letters on the screen mocked him, Shuichi's mouth tightened. Didn't he _ever_ get a break? Not only was he depressed, tired and hungry, he was also now feeling pissed. Very pissed. All thanks to that one little brief message.

_Shuichi. _

_An emergency's come up so I won't be back for a while. Probably for a few weeks._

_PS: your laptop is in the fridge. You put it there last night when you were hungry at five in the morning and mistook it for the pizza box._

_Suguru._

Shuichi glared at the now very offensive mobile. Could he _please_ kill someone _now_?

Since his intended victim wasn't around, Shuichi decided to vent his wrath out on the not-so-innocent mobile. "Suguru, you idiot! Couldn't you have told me that earlier? I've been scrubbing the place like some mad old lady with an anti-bacterium complex and you choose to tell me _after_ I finished cleaning?!"

The mobile defiantly maintained its right to remain silent. Shuichi shook it with both hands, imagining it was Suguru he was strangling. "I am _so _going to _kill_ you!"

Shuichi accidentally squeezed his mobile too tight and it shot out from between his hands- and_ over the railing_. Horrified, Shuichi instinctively dove after it but it was too late. It sailed into the air and seemed suspended in position for a moment before it took a nosedive at full speed.

Shuichi leaned over the railing and looked down, trying to see where his mobile would land, and prayed it would survive the impact in one piece. He didn't have much hope though- this _was_ the twelfth floor after all.

He inwardly cursed as his day went from worse to downright hellish. _Shit. That was a limited edition mobile Dad gave me for my birthday! _

Squinting below, Shuichi caught sight of his wayward mobile speeding recklessly downwards. His horror amplified when he saw that it was headed straight for a blond man slowly trudging along below. He tried to shout a warning but the wind blew his voice away.

Down…

Why was he walking so slowly? How old was he anyway? Ninety-three??

Down…

Shuichi really didn't want to go to jail. He hoped the blond wouldn't die. He wondered if they would give him the electric chair or poison. Maybe they would just give him a white silk cloth and ask him to hang himself?

Down…

Argh! Whatever, just get away!

Down…

Too late.

The poor man hadn't even seen it coming.

XXX

Yuki saw stars. And it wasn't the kind he used to gaze at in Heaven.

_Great. Bloody flippin' great. _Yuki groaned and gingerly touched his head. Feeling a bloody patch of hair, he groaned even louder. Deeming it safe to move his head, he did so and scanned the sidewalk for whatever it was that had just literally crashed onto his skull.

Hand still pressed to his head, Yuki looked around for the dangerous object and accidentally stepped on something that cracked. Removing his foot, he stared at the object wordlessly.

A cell phone.

_This _was the life-threatening object that almost murdered him? Forget the fact that he was an angel- a soul, technically-and therefore couldn't die even if he were to be run over with a bulldozer ten times in a row. That didn't discount the reality that it hurt. A lot.

"Hey, are you all right? I am so sorry, please don't die!"

Okay. Yuki assumed that annoying, high-pitched, panic-stricken, loud and downright infuriating shriek belonged to the owner of the murderous cell phone.

Looking up, Yuki prepared his scathing retort. _Actually, no I'm not all right. That friendly object of yours almost killed me and even if it didn't, your voice will._

When he got a closer look at the figure though, his sarcastic wit failed. Yuki couldn't help staring as a shock of fierce recognition ran through him.

The owner of the stray cell phone was not quite a boy- almost a man. He was dressed casually, in a short sleeved T-shirt and shorts. His brown hair looked wind-swept and he was panting, slightly out of breath; Yuki assumed it was because he came running out the moment he thought his cell phone had assassinated somebody.

But what caught his attention were his mysteriously familiar purple eyes, as though he had seen them before. It was not a common colour and Yuki could feel a hidden memory tugging at his mind, teasing him to remember. Yuki tried, and as always happened whenever he attempted to remember, his head began hurting almost instantly and he doubled up from the pain.

XXX

Shuichi dashed out of the apartment complex, panicking to the verge of hysteria as he searched for his unfortunate victim. Seeing a scruffy looking blond with a hand pressed to his forehead and looking down at something, Shuichi rushed towards him and shouted to know if he was all right.

The man looked up and the sight of the mesmerizing golden eyes arrested him dead in his tracks.

Well, if one could glare as icily as the blond currently was, Shuichi decided he wasn't going to die anytime soon. He slowed down, feeling deeply relieved.

Which vanished the instant the man sank to his knees and extreme pain replaced the aggravation on his face. Shuichi hurried to his side and crouched next to him, worried. "Hey, are you all right? Do you need a doctor?"

He panicked when the man only hissed in pain through gritted teeth as a reply. _What should I do? Should I drive him to the hospital or call an ambulance or what??_

Shuichi stared at the man in panic and horror, desperately fighting off the urge to hyperventilate as he noticed something. "Crap. You're bleeding! Hang in there, don't die on me, mister!"

XXX

Yuki couldn't even keep his eyes open as mind-numbing pain assailed his mind. He could feel blood trickling out from his head between his fingers. He barely heard a single word the hysterical sounding voice next to him was saying.

"…Don't die on me, mister!"

Mister.

That word triggered something off in Yuki's head. He desperately tried to grab hold of the fleeting memory before it disappeared and the searing pain grew white-hot, almost blinding him.

Mister.

He almost got it. The memory was within reach now. _Just…a little…more…!_

Mister!

_No!!_ Yuki almost screamed in frustration as the glimpse of memory mockingly danced out of his reach before dissipating entirely.

"Mister! No, keep your eyes open, mister!"

Defeated, Yuki no longer had any will to fight back darkness as the pain intensified. He let go and gratefully welcomed the blank pain-free world.

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Okay, that wraps up the first chapter. Please review! 


	3. Flaming

Hugs and kisses for all the sexy reviews! (okay, so maybe it's not possible for reviews to be sexy but I describe anything I like with the word 'sexy' so it's a compliment. lol.) Thanks to Kittey-Rin for the thorough beta! You have her to thank for decreasing the number of undecipherable sentences. Haha.

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**Disclaimer: **If I owned Gravitation, 'Muahaha' would be the only thing I type.

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**Heaven's Child  
  
_Chapter 2-Flaming_**

"How about this one? It has a swimming pool, a gym, tight security…and look-there's even a squash court!"

Shuichi impatiently shook his head without even looking at the spectacled man. A few stray strands of hair fell into his eyes as he poured over numerous catalogues and brochures. "So what? I don't swim, I sink; I don't work out, and I can't even tell the difference between a squash racket and a tennis ball."

It was currently eleven in the morning. The day before, he had rendered some innocent passer-by unconscious with his mobile phone. He naturally panicked and was about to lug the scruffy looking man to the hospital when his victim grabbed his arm, rasping out that he would be fine after a night's rest.

Shuichi had initially protested, insisting they got him to a doctor but the man had proven himself to be even more stubborn than Shuichi. Finally relenting, he had let the man spend the night in his apartment, thankful that at least Suguru wasn't around.

As for his cell phone, that thing was just amazing; it actually rung when he tried calling it though the LCD was dead. _Well, at least I know it's durable…_

Earlier that morning, he had tried waking the blond up- 'tried' being the key word. Shuichi was worried about him but since he had no fever nor showed any other signs of being sick, he decided to just let him sleep for a few more hours before checking up on him again.

Since he had to go home-hunting, he left a note for the blond, explaining where he had gone and that he would be back later.

It was only now that it hit Shuichi it wasn't very safe to leave a stranger all alone in his apartment._ Oh well, I'm sure he won't try anything funny with that wound. It was bleeding pretty badly yesterday. I had to change the bandages twice…_

"How about this one then? It comes fully furnished."

"No. I want to decorate my own place."

"This one?"

"No."

"This?"

"No."

Shuichi almost pitied the real estate agent as he got increasingly flustered with each rejected suggestion.

It wasn't like he was purposefully being difficult just to aggravate him. He was just really particular about picking his new home. While Suguru was probably the closest to being an ideal roommate, Shuichi just wasn't very comfortable sharing his personal space with others.

Taking it up with his parents, his father had agreed to let him have his own place and recommended a real estate acquaintance of his, Sakano, to help him find a suitable place. Sakano had been desperately searching for a place Shuichi liked but was now reaching his wits end after weeks of 'no'.

Sakano smiled bravely at Shuichi, though it seemed like he was reassuring himself more than him. "Don't worry, Shindou-san. I'm sure we'll find something you like eventually!"

"Ow!" Shuichi got a fright when his head was whacked from behind. Rubbing his head, he turned around to glare at the culprit.

A tall American man with long blond hair held up in a high ponytail grinned at him, tapping a rolled-up magazine onto the palm of his hand with his other hand. K was another of his father's acquaintance enlisted to help him**-** though baby-sitter was the more accurate term." You shouldn't give Mr. Sakano such a hard time, you naughty boy."

Shuichi merely continued rubbing his head and stuck his tongue out at him, not caring that it was childish. "That hurt. Don't hit me with that!"

K only shrugged. "We've been here for almost three hours. Don't you think we should take a break already?"

Shuichi blinked and took a glance at his watch, not trusting K. "You're right! Maybe we should stop here."

"This one!"

Startled at the sudden shout, both Shuichi and K turned to stare at Sakano.

The end of his tie had flopped over his shoulder haphazardly, his hair was messy, glasses askew, and his eyes had gained an almost maniacal gleam. "How about this one, Shindou-san? Huh huh? How about it? Look! The walls have just been painted with an ever soft freshly green colour!"

"Um…Sakano-san…?"

"It even comes with a free supply of insect spray! Look!"

"Mr.Sakano-"

"They even have a thirteenth floor! Oh wait-thirteen is an unlucky number isn't it? Okay, how about the fourth floor then?? It means 'die' in Cantonese! How about it? It says here they provide free ice-cream on Thursdays and it even-"

K narrowed his eyes sharply and gave Shuichi an accusing look as Sakano rambled on, jabbing his finger enthusiastically at a newspaper, oblivious that nobody could even make out what he was saying over his wild gesticulations.

"See what you did? The poor man's talking to himself now."

XXX

Yuki woke up to a pounding headache.

Groaning as he sat up, he automatically reached for his head and was surprised to find it bandaged. He sat on the bed in confusion for a moment, dazedly taking in his surroundings.

As events from the precious day came rushing back to him, Yuki leaned back against the pillow, feeling hollow. _Why is it that every time I try to remember, I end up blacking out? Was what I did so terrible that Heaven felt justified making me forget everything? _

Yuki mentally pushed the thoughts away, deciding it was too early to be depressed. He had another eighty-five years to repent and suffer anyway. He took a good look around the room - sunlight pouring in gave it a cheerful look.

_It looks pretty neat. Except for that pile of junk over there…and what's that?_ Curiosity getting the better of him, Yuki got out of the bed and neared the object, regretting it instantly as a wave of stench met his nose. _God. I wonder how old the pizza in that box is_

Noting a door, Yuki assumed it was a toilet and went to wash his face.

Turning on the tap, Yuki splashed the water onto his face, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the feel of icy cold water trickling down his skin. When he was done, he turned it off and stared at his refection in the mirror, snorting as he noted the obviously clumsy bandaging. _For Pete's sake, all I have is a slight bruise, not a mortal wound. This looks more like a turban than a bandage…_

He undid the little clasp and unravelled the bandage, frowning as he examined his injury. Yuki was disgruntled to find it not completely healed yet. _Damn it, wounds this light usually heal within a few hours. Looks like I'm really wasting away if it's taking so long just to heal this stupid thing…_

Irritated, Yuki glanced down at the bandage in his hand. _To heck with it. Regular people would take a few weeks to heal from this anyway. Better put the ridiculous thing back on before that loud-mouthed brat notices and asks questions I can't answer._

His frown deepened at that. Where was the moron anyway?

Once he finished bandaging, which took more than a little effort and a lot of struggling, Yuki set out to explore the unfamiliar territory.

While he was sure he had been on Earth many times before, everything regarding it except for the very most basic information had been sealed away. Thus, he had no knowledge of the place whatsoever beyond the past fifteen years; since he had spent _those_ years wasting away in back alleys, it was safe to say he was practically in an alternate dimension in this neat, properly equipped modern place.

The bedroom led out to a living room and following it, he discovered a little dining area. A scrap of paper on the coffee table caught his eye and Yuki picked it up, reading the barely decipherable messy scrawl written on it, presumably by the brat.

_Mister,_

_I tried to wake you but gave up after you almost gave me a black eye in your sleep._

_I have to go somewhere but I'll be back as soon as I can. If I'm not back by umm...let's say 1pm, eat whatever you want okay? Oh, and don't go anywhere! I don't want you to die from blood loss on the streets, ya know? Umm…that's all I guess. Bye!_

_Shuichi._

Yuki stared at the note and reread it again before snorting in disbelief. Was he an idiot? Who in the blazin**'** world would leave someone they didn't even know all alone in their home?

He sighed and threw the note in what he supposed was a wastepaper basket before glancing up at the silly penguin shaped clock hung on the wall. It was already one thirty. _Shuichi huh? Brat suits him better._

He stood there for a moment, uncertain. _What should I do now? Eat?_

It wasn't necessary for angels to eat. Indeed, most hardly ate, eating only when they wanted or needed too. And Yuki needed to eat if he were to heal. Scowling at that, Yuki headed to find things people considered food.

XXX

"What do you think, Shindou-san? Is it to your taste?"

"Err...I…That is…." Shuichi stuttered nervously.

By now, he was too freaked out to reject Sakano's suggestion. Said man was standing way too close for comfort in front of him, rubbing his hands gleefully with an almost scary expectant look in his eyes.

Behind him, Shuichi could see K loading his gun with what looked like tranquillisers. He had always wondered why K needed to carry a gun before, but he knew why now; if he had friends like Sakano, he wouldn't be carrying a gun- a bazooka would fit the bill better.

He actually quite liked this condominium, unlike the previous six or so. He wanted to think about it first though.

"How about it, Sh-in-dou-_san_?"

Shuichi gulped and sent K a helpless look, shamelessly pleading for rescue.

Fortunately, K got the message and stepped forward, patting his gun in a way that worried Shuichi slightly. "Mr. Sakano, we've been driving from place to place for a few hours already. I'm sure Mr. Shindou is tired. Besides, didn't you have an appointment at two?"

Shuichi breathed a silent prayer of relief as K successfully distracted Sakano before K's words sunk in. Eyes widening as he noted the time (it was almost two thirty), he exclaimed, "Crap! It's this late already? I have to go! Now!"

Sakano gave him a startled look and said in a woeful voice, "If you say so…"

K regretfully massaged his gun, disappointed Sakano had been subdued without any…_external _help.

XXX

"Honey Stars! Contains all seven nutrients fibre and much more! Eat to join Captain Bear in his heroic mission to destroy evil asteroids from outer space!"

Or so the cereal box boasted.

Yuki snorted in disdain and set the cardboard box down. _How brainless Don't they have anything better to do than make food called Honey Stars? Why do they call it Honey Stars anyway? Are they made of stars? It can't be…are they made of honey, then? Bees?_

He shot a quick look throughout the room.

Satisfied he was alone, Yuki opened the box and peered into the packet. _Hmm. So these are Honey Stars…_ He eyed the yellow star-shaped grainy thing in distrust, not sure it was really meant for eating. Deciding to risk it, he popped one into his mouth. He cringed instantly and forced himself to swallow before stuffing the packet back into the box with disgust. _This is…sweet. Very, very sweet. Maybe it's medicine. Or poison._

Shuddering, Yuki turned away and opened the fridge instead. A smooth silver rectangle caught his eye instantly. He took the heavy object out and frowned at the shiny holograph sticker stuck on it that said: 'Toshiba-Windows XP Professional'.

_Funny, since when did windows look like this?_ He wondered when humans had evolved so much that they were able to eat windows- windows that didn't even look like a window. _Weird._

Shoving the metallic thing back into the fridge with cold disdain, he searched for other types of food. Food that actually _looked_ like food.

XXX

Shuichi came home to find his microwave on fire.

The first hint of it was the tendrils of smoke seeping out from under the door. Anxious, he flung the door open, ignoring the jingling of his keys as they dropped to the floor. "Mister! What happened? Are you okay?!"

Behind him, K gave a whistle as he stepped in as well. He had followed Shuichi back since Sakano was busy.

The first thing Shuichi saw was one very irritated blond trying to glare his smoking microwave to death. By now, the fumes escaping the microwave were so thick that Shuichi chocked on it.

Hearing Shuichi, he turned around and gestured at the microwave angrily. "What's wrong with this stupid thing?"

Shuichi rushed over and tried to peer into the microwave through the smoke. "What did you do?"

_Actually, I threw an egg inside and it cracked in the blasted thing so I tried putting another one, gently this time, and punched a few random buttons. _"Well, I wanted to cook an egg so I put one inside and switched it on."

Shuichi stared at Yuki in horror. "You tried to cook an egg with it?!"

"Yes."

"Without cracking it open first?!"

"Yes."

"As in, the whole egg, shell included?!"

"Yes."

"Argh!"

Yuki blinked in confused bemusement as Shuichi got even more hysterical and shouted at K to get a fire extinguisher. He then turned his attention back to the microwave, desperately trying to calm his frazzled microwave down -which was beginning to spark.

"Roger!" K merrily said before going off to look for one.

"Hey, Shuichi! What are you-whoa!"

Yuki turned to find two guys standing at the open doorway, eyes wide open and mouths hung slack over the scene that greeted them.

Shuichi shouted at his friends. "Ryuichi, Hiro, don't just stand there! Help me!"

"Why don't you just unplug the cable before it short circuits?"

"I can't! It's gone haywire. It's going to explode if we don't bring the temperature down. Argh, I need something to put the sparking out!"

Hiro noticed Yuki just then. "Hi, I'm Hiro."

"…Yuki."

Shuichi clenched his teeth and willed himself not to scream. "Guys! Now's not the time to-shit! You-Yuki! Get something to put the fire out!"

Upon seeing the rapidly growing flame, Yuki's panic mode (if he even had one) finally kicked in. Frantically looking around, he spotted a huge bottle of liquid and unscrewed the cap feverishly.

Shuichi screamed at Yuki hysterically when he saw what he was doing. "NO! Yuki that's the-"

A small explosion sounded throughout the room as everything within 3 feet of the microwave went up in flames.

Heart thumping madly at his near brush with death, Shuichi stared at what used to be his white kitchenette. He finished his sentence weakly. "-cooking oil…"

Just then, K burst into the room with a fire extinguisher. "Move out of the way!"

Watching as K, who looked as though he was having a lot of fun, put the fire out, Shuichi sighed mentally. _Suguru's going to kill me. I just cleaned this place up too…_

Yuki wore a dark scowl and continued to glare at the remainders of the microwave bitterly.

Hiro was sitting next to Ryuichi, who sat on the couch, when Ryuichi started giggling. When he noticed everybody giving him weird looks, he said, "Look Shuichi, Honey Stars is on fire!" before breaking off into peals of laugher again.

* * *

I did it again. NUOOOOO! It was supposed to be a serious story. S-E-R-I-O-U-S. Why did I have Yuki blow the microwave up?? Ah well...I'm not sure if anybody noticed but I keep changing the genre of this story. Anybody has a clue what genre this falls under? People who review shall get Honey Stars! lol. They_ really_ are incredibly sweet though. Probably going to give me diabetes some day...  



	4. Moving

**Em-chan: **.:grins:. That was the idea in this fic-to make Yuki as clueless as possible!  
**Madelynn: **Actually, I had Yuki do that because once, I really _did_ attempt cooking eggs in the microwave…and it exploded… .:sweatdrop:. Without the eggshell though!  
**cocoke: **Glad you like it!  
**konekooo:** O.o You must be my other half! Except what I exploded was chocolate muffins…I seem to explode lots of stuff…  
**fuzzybunnytoo:** Okay, Shuichi has made Yuki take a bath, though it isn't mentioned in the story. Haha…Suguru and Hiro together? Maybe I will. Hmmm…  
**graviluvr:** Glad you found it funny!  
**Mi Querida:** Nice to see someone who likes Yuki being blur other than me. Heh heh heh.  
**Gravitation Innocence:** Me is very happy that you liked it!  
**LLPeeepz13:** Hmm…Drama eh? Okay, thanks for your help!  
**BlackWingedAngel-Lucifer:** You never heard of Honey Stars? Hmm…maybe they're not available wherever you are. Let me assure you: they are yellow, grainy, star-shaped with a hole in the middle, and sweet. Very, very sweet. Murderous in fact…  
**Maple Isabelle:** Wow, the number of people who liked the idea of a microwave-blowing Yuki surprised me…in a good way of course! .:beams:.  
**Soul of Insanity:** Probably the reason no one came up with an angelic Yuki is because Yuki is nothing like an angel…hahaha. I enjoy giving characters unusual roles though.  
**Amy:** Woah…that's a truckload of unanswerable questions you have there… .:winks:. To find out, continue reading! Lol

Thanks to every lovely person out there who was kind enough to spend precious minutes reviewing! I'm sorry that I haven't been updating lately but well…I'm sure everybody here knows the 'joy' of exams. Uh…right? Or is there people who _actually_ enjoy studying? Anyway, even though my internals are over, my external exam is next up in January so the next update will probably be late again. Thanks for being so patient! You guys are the best!

By the way, this chapter is the un-beta-ed version but I decided to put it up first as a Christmas present. Please ignore any grammar or spelling mistakes. Thanks. Merry Christmas from me to you**  
**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** As hard as this is to say, the bishies of Gravitation do not belong to yours truly…

* * *

**Heaven's Child**

_**Chapter 3-Moving**_

"Shuichi, are you up yet?" Hiro continued knocking the door when he got no response. "Shuichi, I'm leaving now. Wake up!"

The knocking stopped when the door creaked open to reveal a grumpy Shuichi, blearily rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "All right already. I'm up, I'm up. Whad-," a huge yawn attacked him and he covered his mouth before continuing his undecipherable mumble, "-daya want?"

Rolling his eyes, Hiro flicked his forehead affectionately. "Good morning to you too, sleepyhead. It's almost time for class so I'm heading out first. You're going to take a look at your new place today right? I wonder how Fujisaki is going to react to a half burnt-down apartment…"

Shuddering, Shuichi replied, "I rather not think of that, thanks. I _did _tell him our place is sort of under construction right now though."

"'Sort of under construction**'** my foot," Hiro shook his head a little before heading down the stairs, slinging his backpack over his shoulder on the way. "Anyway, you can stay for as long as you need to. My cousin moved out last month and this house is really too big for one person. Yuki-san can stay as well. That reminds me, who is he anyway? K's relative?"

Nibbling his bottom lip, Shuichi slowly answered. "Well, he's…not K's relative. He's just someone I know." _Sort of._

Hiro gave Shuichi a funny look before shrugging. "Okay, see you later then."

After waving Hiro goodbye, he waited until the click of the front door being closed was heard before stepping back into his temporary room, sighing as he mentally ran through a list of seemingly endless things to be done. _Well, better get started soon I guess._

XXX

Half an hour later, after a shower and a fresh change of clothes, Shuichi was feeling more optimistic. Knocking on the door of the room next to his, he idly agreed with Hiro's opinion that the house was too big.

"Yuki, are you awake yet?" Frowning as silence greeted his ears, he cautiously twisted the doorknob and pushed when it creaked open. "Yuki? I'm coming in."

A blast of cold air hit him the second he set a foot in the room. _Whoa, he really likes it freezing._

Walking towards the lump on the bed, Shuichi peered at Yuki's face and wasn't surprised to find his eyes closed. What surprised-and worried- him, was the thin sheet of sweat along with the pained look on Yuki's face.

Reaching to shake him awake, Shuichi instinctively jerked his hand back as a jolt that felt disturbingly like an electric shock ran up his arm upon contact with Yuki. He was staring in amazed confusion at Yuki when the blonde's eyes snapped open and he jolted upright, breathing heavily.

When his eyes met Yuki's unseeing ones, Shuichi couldn't help backing away. He could practically feel the temperature drop a few more degrees. "Go-good morning Yuki. I was going to wake you up for breakfast. We need to talk so I'll be waiting for you downstairs."

With that, he hurried out of the room, slammed it shut and leaned against it. He released a breath he had unconsciously been holding.

He surprised himself sometimes. He didn't know why he had rushed out like that or why he felt as though he had seen something private. He didn't even know why his heart was thumping madly. Attempting to shake his thoughts away, he went downstairs and was making coffee in the kitchen when he suddenly froze, a chill running through him as he realized something; there was _no _air-conditioner in Yuki's room.

XXX

Yuki couldn't understand what was happening and any conjectures were strictly rejected and sent away immediately because all of them bode ill.

He could only stare at the blood-soaked bandage in hand and wonder what was going on. His head wound had mysteriously opened up again, which was only unheard of. _Well, only Time would tell…and she better have a good reason. _

With that threatening note in mind, Yuki straightened the bedspread before leaving the room, accompanied by a killer headache.

He entered the kitchen to find Shuichi mopping some black liquid off the floor. Yuki's footsteps alerting him, he looked up immediately and at Yuki's questioning look, sheepishly waved his hand towards two mugs set on the counter. "I accidentally spilled the coffee."

"Oh…"

Yuki took a seat and after a pause, asked. "What's coffee?"

XXX

Shuichi watched the man seated across him at the kitchen table; the man paid him no heed, flipping through the newspaper with curious detachment. To put it simply, he had no idea what he was supposed to do with Yuki, or if he was even _supposed_ to do something about him.

Shuichi was planning to move into his new place soon; he had already been staying at Hiro's for a few nights and, quite obviously, didn't want to impose any longer than he had too. Yuki was, as far as Shuichi could tell, homeless, and didn't have anybody to depend on. The man was a mystery.

Yuki shifted slightly in his seat, a hand moving up to subconsciously play with the frayed end of the tightly wrapped bandage.

Eyes drawn to the movement, Shuichi frowned. It was his fault that the man was injured in the first place. He didn't care if people called him soft, but there was no way he was setting Yuki loose on the streets in that condition.

Flashes of newspapers clippings telling the tale of a dead man found by a dumpster with flies buzzing about him with captions reading 'Homeless Man Dead From Head Injury -Culprit Still Unknown Police Say Investigations Continue-' raced through his mind for a split second.

Mentally chiding his wild imagination for going off track, he came to a decision. "Yuki, do you want to stay with me?"

Surprise lit the golden eyes for a moment before it was carefully hidden. Yuki folded the newspaper in half before replying. "What do you mean?"

"Since you don't have a place to stay and you refuse to see a doctor, the only way I can make it up to you is to at least offer you a place to stay until you recover. I won't be staying here for long I'm moving out as soon as I get some furniture. I thought you should come with me."

"You mean that you want to atone for cracking my skull split open. Thanks, but I don't need your pity so you can stop playing the Good Samaritan. Keep your meddling nose out of my affairs. And who said I don't have a place to stay, you assuming moron?"

Taken aback at his icy-hard tone, Shuichi blinked. "You mean you _do_ have a place to go?"

Yuki's tone was touched with slight disdain. "That's what I meant. Pitiful. Are you deaf as well as stupid?"

Shuichi only stared at Yuki without saying anything, getting angry. _Who does he think he is? I'm sincerely offering him a place to stay and he acts like a stuck up bastard. _

Fuming, Shuichi half-shouted "Why do you have to be such an asshole? I'm not pitying you or trying to be a martyr; I'm doing it for myself! You have a place to go to? Fine, where did you come from then? Where are you going? If you have somebody, then I suppose you were dressed like a beggar when I found you just to see how it feels like! Oh, and I assure you that every decent person with a proper job would smell as fragrant as decayed fish combined with bad milk as well. So tell me now, who are you?"

Startled at Shuichi's sudden outburst, Yuki stared for a moment before smoothly slipping his cool façade back on. _Well, at least he's not boring_. "I see. I'm sorry for misunderstanding your intentions but I won't answer your questions. My life is private and I can't divulge details about it, nor do I wish too."

Smiling bitterly, as though he was mocking himself, Yuki looked away and muttered, "You would never believe it anyway. Not **'**til the day you die." _Literally._

His sudden surge of anger quickly draining away at the hint of self-loathing detected in Yuki's voice, Shuichi quietly said, out of genuine curiosity this time, "Try me."

At that, Yuki fixed his eyes on Shuichi in silence. The both of them didn't say a word for a while; indeed, neither even blinked. Shuichi held Yuki's chilly eyes, determined not to back down.

Amazingly enough, Shuichi discovered that he really wanted to know the reason behind the pain hidden in the deepest recesses of Yuki's eyes. He couldn't begin to fathom what exactly it was about Yuki that made him curious, but that wasn't important.

XXX

_Doesn't the brat know when to give up? _

Yuki irritably considered kicking him under the table, realized it wasn't cool and discarded that idea. Giving an insufferable sigh, Yuki leaned back into his chair. He muttered, "Fine, if you want to know that badly."

A triumphant look settled on Shuichi's stubborn face before he could stop it. "I'm waiting."

Heart softening just a tiny bit at Shuichi's poor attempt at hiding his victorious expression, Yuki sifted through his life chronology for parts that were safe to tell**-** parts that he remembered anyway. _A kid is a kid. No matter how hard he may try, he's still a child inside. Why is it that children want to grow up so fast?_

"I'm only going to say it once so listen well because I'm never repeating it even if you cry."

"I don't cry!"

"Sure, of course you don't." _Definitely a child._ "Now listen."

He paused for a moment before taking the plunge. " I…come from a place where there are many people. Although not related by blood, we were family. That place was what dreams are made from. However, like how there are dreams, there are also nightmares. We get assigned to jobs, to people. All too often, there were more jobs than there were of…us."

Taking a breather, Yuki continued, " Not all jobs are pleasant. Some experiences scar us and some memories will haunt us for all eternity. The feeling of helplessness, of being powerless…it was a normal occurrence to wake up in the middle of the night crying. If it wasn't tears, it would be screaming and pain…" Lost in the graveyard of memories, Yuki's fist involuntarily clenched.

It was true after all.

Heaven was beautiful and pure, but that also meant the hearts of the angels dwelling there were fragile, easily bruised. Guardian angels were only assigned to those whose name had, for some reason, not appeared in the Tome of Fate- to investigate the reason why it was so. In the book, everything about a person, from the very second they were conceived to the day they died, was jotted down.

Sometimes, their missions ended happily, with the missing name being a minor glitch and quickly taken care of. But for others, their assignment ended with their charges dying without ever discovering what went wrong and _that_ was when the mourning started. It was only expected for them to weep. Why wouldn't they? After all, those whose names were absent from the Tome of Fate could _never _enter heaven.

Not even when they died.

Yuki was jerked back down to Earth by the movement of Shuichi shifting. Inwardly, he cursed. _Damn it, I've said too much! Did I accidentally reveal anything?_

Fearful anticipation filled Yuki when Shuichi continued staring at him with an unreadable expression. He _really _didn't need any more heavenly retribution. "Bra-"

Yuki was cut off when Shuichi suddenly stood up. Ignoring the crash of his chair hitting the floor, Shuichi hurried over and took a startled Yuki's hands into his compassion and understanding made his eyes shimmer almost scarily bright.

"It's okay, Yuki. You don't have to say anything more. I completely understand your pain. I'm sorry I was so insensitive earlier. Don't worry, I won't ask anymore. You must have been so scared. You can stay with me for as long as you want. I'll help as much as I can."

Yuki was getting a _very_ bad feeling. Snatching his hands away, he semi-growled. "What is _wrong_ with your puny mind? What the hell are you talking about?"

Shuichi only smiled kindly at him, completely unperturbed. "Shh- it's okay. Please forgive me, it's completely my fault." Sighing gustily, he said "Life as a male prostitute must have made you so frightened and mistrustful."

"What?!"

Shuichi patted Yuki's back comfortingly. "No wonder you have such a lousy, rotten, stinking attitude. In fact, you must be the most ungrateful, rudest, coldest, and smelliest bastard I have ever met. It was just a defense mechanism. It was a desperate, silent cry for help, was it not? I'm sorry for not realizing it earlier. I'll be here for you, Yuki. I'll get you the professional help you need."

At this point, Yuki felt either like shoving Shuichi's head down the toilet bowl and flushing, or laughing non-stop. Unable to decide, he settled for staring blankly at Shuichi, mouth agape. _I knew he was an idiot but to be this stupid…It has to be a sin._ _It has to!_ "The hell? No way. I'm outta here."

Throwing his napkin down, Yuki pushed his chair back and was striding towards the front door when he felt an iron grip clamped on his shoulder.

Shuichi's face was the very definition of innocence "Where are you going, Yuki? I told you that you could stay with me."

Snorting in exasperation, Yuki retorted. "Yeah, and I want to stay with you as much as I love strolling in a thunderstorm holding a piece of metal over my head. I. Don't. Want. To. Stay. With. You. Get it?"

"Would you prefer to have parquet or marble floors?"

"…."

"Oi, are you even listening?"

"Do you need a table lamp, Yuki?"

"Oi!!"

XXX

Yuki sincerely wondered how things turned out this way.

In the few hours between breakfast and dinner, he had been thrown into a recklessly speeding carriage called a car, dragged to basically every type of shop from the lighting store to the furniture to the clothing stores. They then had lunch at a sushi bar and then he was spirited away to his current destination, which was Shuichi's new condominium lot and, as Shuichi insisted, his as well.

All in all, the main thing he wanted to know was how things turned out this way.

XXX

"Yes, Sakano-san. I'm serious. I found a place I liked"

Shuichi half-listened to Sakano's voice over his repaired cell phone, watching Yuki from the corner of his eye.

"No, I'm not joking or playing a cruel prank on you. I assure you I'm not in a conspiracy with the Demon Lord and I'm sure this isn't a dream eitherWhy? Because I accidentally kicked the wall earlier and my big toe still hurts. Not to mention I'm getting hungry. I'm sorry, but I have to go now. Bye!"

Flipping his mobile shut and thus effectively cutting off Sakano's paranoid ramblings, Shuichi walked over to Yuki, who growled at him. "Are you done yet?"

"Yup! We can move in next week." Shuichi continued chattering while observing Yuki's reaction. He was pleased when an indifferent "Hn" was the only reply he got.

The man could compete with him when it came to stubbornness. It had taken him hours to wear Yuki down but it paid off well; Yuki was now too worn out to protest staying with him.

Yuki was a million piece puzzle that Shuichi was determined to solve. Working where each piece fit together was going to be the hardest task he would ever undertake but he didn't care if it took him forever; for some reason he couldn't comprehend, he wanted to know more about YukiHe wanted to pry his welded mask off.

Besides, teasing him was so fun.

Shuichi hadn't known that Yuki would take the prostitute joke that seriously. Come on, What did Yuki take him for? An idiot?

* * *

I think it's safe to say Shuichi would be happier off not knowing the answer to that question, eh? lol. Say, I've always wondered about some terms used on this site…For example, what does 'cannon' mean? PWP? Meh…till' the next chapter! Merry X'mas! 


	5. Meaning

I'm really sorry about the late update! T.T Been working on Phantom Butterfly not to mention I somewhat had a bit of writer's block for this story. You have Kittey-Rin, only the best beta ever, to thanks for getting my ass to work again. (grins) And also, thanks to the kind souls who helped clarify the meaning of the terms on this site. I feel a little smarter now, having learned the jargon of On to chapter four!

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**Disclaimer:** I own Gravitation. By the way, I also happen to be the gay pope of Arizona. XD

* * *

**Heaven's Child**

_**Chapter 4-Meaning**_

"So if there are no objection**s**, it's been decided. We're counting on you, Shuichi!"

_Huh?_ Shuichi blinked as the mention his name caught his attention. He looked at the group of classmates gathered around him. "Decided? Counting on me?"

Ayaka, the girl that just spoke, rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Weren't you listening?"

"Uh…no?"

She glared at him before smiling sweetly. "Okay then. Let me repeat. For the upcoming carnival, Hiro and Ryuichi will be in charge of setting up the stalls, Risa will looking for sponsors, Reiji and Yuiko will be deciding on the games," she pointed at each of them in turn before pointing to herself, "and I, will be in charge of ticketing. And you, Shuichi," it was now that her smile turned evil. Shuichi just knew it was something horrible by the way the others were snickering, "will be in charge of baking cupcakes."

Shuichi stared at her in horror as she flashed him a triumphant smile. "What?! If you put me in charge of that, they won't even look like cupcakes anymore!"

She shrugged. "Well, as long as they taste like cupcakes, it's okay. And if they're black, we can say it's a new type of sugar. In the worst scenario, we can always say they're a rare type of rock and sell them off as souvenirs. You've got no problem with that, _right_?"

_Of course I do!_ However, Shuichi was freaked out by her threatening aura and chickened out of protesting. He muttered, "Fine, whatever you say. Just don't blame me if people get food poisoning."

She beamed at him, "I knew could rely on you!"

Ryuichi sympathetically patted his back. "Don't worry, Shuichi, I'll help you out with it."

Shuichi shot him a grateful look. "Thanks."

"After all, I've always wanted to try blowing up a microwave too"

"…From today onwards, you're banned from my condo."

"What?! Why?"

XXX

After class, Shuichi went home to find Yuki in a meditative pose with eyes closed. A mischievous grin crept up on his face. Whenever Yuki was in this trance-like state, he would be deaf and blind to the real world. Digging through his bag, he found what he was looking for and proceeded to make his bad day better.

Twenty minutes later, while Shuichi was looking through the list of ingredients he needed to get, he heard the telltale yell from the living room_. Oh-uh, Yuki sounds furious. Maybe I shouldn't have used the whole bottle of glue…_

He hastily ducked behind the kitchen counter, hoping Yuki wouldn't think to look there. He had earlier hid his shoes and bag, erasing all evidence he was home. As minutes ticked by, Shuichi heard a door slam and then, silence. Breathing a sigh of relief, he slid down on the floor. The bubble of laughter he had desperately been holding back burst out.

"Care to share the joke?"

Startled, Shuichi's immediate reaction was to scramble up, banging his head in the process. Cradling the side of his head, Shuichi moaned piteously, "Ouch..."

"'Ouch?' Get over here and I'll show you what a real injury is like."

Squeaking nervously at that ominous threat, he chanced a glance at Yuki. He stared for a spilt second before laughing again, despite the pain. He had done a better job then originally thought. Wheezing with laughter, he banged the kitchen counter.

Yuki narrowed his eyes. "See something that tickles you?"

Normally it would have sounded scary; but coming from a Yuki (with bits of bright red wool piled high on his head in fluffy ringlets, a crimson nose and black ink highlighting the outline of his eyes) it just sounded sulky.

Shuichi banged the counter again, clutching his side with one hand as he gasped for breath.

XXX

After drying his eyes, Shuichi sat at the dining table with Yuki, both looking at the baking instructions. Absentmindedly pulling at the bits of red wool in his hair, Yuki peered at the book, frowning. "So, you're supposed to…_bake_…using that microwave thing?"

Shuichi nodded, scanning through the lines of instructions. "Yup. I think this is all I need. I'm going to head out to get the stuff now. You coming?"

Receiving a frosty look in reply, Shuichi bit back a peal of giggles. "Oh right…I suppose you wouldn't want to go out looking like that."

"And whose fault might that be?" Yuki's tone was one who had been dealt a grief injustice.

Shuichi tilted hit head away slightly, hiding the grin that refused to stay off his face. "I'm really sorry. I didn't know I was using super glue…or that the markers I used were permanent, or that the glitter I used was so sparkly or that-"

"Don't push it, brat." The inflection in Yuki's voice gave Shuichi a clue that blood was about to be spilled - and it wouldn't be the blonde's.

Lamely, Shuichi tried to defend himself. "Look on the bright side, Yuki. I've always thought you looked real sparkly anyway, what with your golden hair and eyes. Besides, I think you look very, er…_dainty_ in red."

It was merely a look, but Yuki's glare was enough to send Shuichi scuttling out of the front door with an "Eep!"

XXX

Shuichi was having a hard time deciding between the types of flour to get. _Corn flour, self-raising flour…What's the difference? Ah well, I'll just get both and mix them together._ Making up his mind, Shuichi put both in the trolley. He pushed it to the cashier and wondered what pranks he should pull on Yuki next.

XXX

Yuki furiously scrubbed at his face, attempting to get the ink out. He gave up after the sixth try; his face felt like the skin had just been ripped off. _What kind of marker did he use? Jeez…_

"Yuki, I'm home!"

Yuki ignored that overly-cheerful voice and critically inspected his reflection He did look pretty good in red…

Upon exiting the bathroom, he was sent flying on his back by a Shuichi who was grinning at him in a suspicious way. "Look Yuki! I've got a present for you!"

Yuki stared at him, dazed and winded out from the sudden tackle. Once he got his breath back, he snapped at Shuichi, "Get off me. You're heavy."

Completely unaffected by his less than friendly response, Shuichi shook his head. "Nope! Got to see if it fits first"

_Fits…? What did he get this time?_ Yuki wondered warily. From experience, Yuki knew it was useless to push Shuichi off him if he didn't want to budge. He had always wondered how someone so small managed to weigh like an African elephant - an overweight elephant.

_Wonderful. I just knew it was a bad idea to let him go shopping alone. He always ends up getting weird 'presents'. I thought the rubber mouse was the worse…but that was before he got me the spiked dog collar._

Shuichi's victorious cry of "Ah-ha! I _did _get the right size!" brought Yuki's attention back to where Shuichi was looking at. His jaw hung open. "Shuichi, what are those hideous…things?"

Indignant, Shuichi retorted, "They're not 'things' **t**hey're a miracle! I didn't think I would successfully find shoes the exact shade of your current hair color."

Yuki could practically feel a vein throbbing. He gritted his teeth and drew his words out slowly. "Shuichi, what exactly in the world do you think I am?"

Without a beat, Shuichi promptly answered, "My pet!"

The throbbing was more like violent drumming on a gong now. "Get. Those. Puffy. _Things_. Off. My. Feet." If looks could kill, Shuichi would be rotting six feet under. " Before I stick them in your mouth. "

Shuichi's answer came swiftly. "No way!"

Thus, World War VI was declared. Shuichi sat on top of Yuki, having an optical dagger-throwing tournament. Of course, World War VI hasn't erupted yet and hopefully, never will. The reason being, the savior of world peace came barreling through the front door at that exact moment.

"Shu-chan!"

An excited Ryuichi screeched to a sudden stop at the drama unfolding in front of his eyes. "Oh, were you guys doing something important? Whoops, sorry! Just carry on and pretend I'm not here."

With that, Ryuichi squatted down and coved his eyes with his hands, obviously peeking between his fingers. Completely ignorant of the identical dumfounded looks Shuichi and Yuki wore, he asked expectantly, "Well, what are you waiting for? Hurry up! Kuma-chan and I haven't watched a good movie in a long time," he produced a pink bunny with great flourish. "Tada!"

The bunny, for some reason, spoke reason to Yuki. Taking advantage of the situation, he sat up quickly, sending Shuichi tumbling to the floor. Shuichi gave an injured yell of "Hey! Where are you going?"

Yuki pointedly ignored him. "Stop fooling around. I'm going to bake now, with or without you."

Shuichi stared at Yuki, mouth agape. "You're helping out?"

"Are you coming or not?"

Ignoring the irritation in Yuki's countenance, Shuichi squealed happily, "Aww, I always knew you had a soft side!"

Ryuichi cut Yuki's counterattack short. He walked up to Yuki and inspected him up and down, not uttering a single syllable. Belatedly realizing his get-up, Yuki mentally set Shuichi on fire. Never in his entire angelic life had Yuki suffered such humiliation. If only the other angels could see the powerful, graceful and cool angel of snow right now.

Soon, Ryuichi spoke but what escaped his mouth wasn't what Yuki expected. He looked at Shuichi and squealed excitedly "Wow! I didn't believe you at first but you were right, Shuichi!"

Shuichi smiled proudly. "I was, wasn't I? You owe me ten bucks."

""Fine!" Pouting now, Ryuichi handed him a ten-dollar bill.

Yuki watched this exchange in bewilderment. "What's this about?" he demanded.

Ryuichi answered despite Shuichi's desperate shushing motions. "Oh, Shu-chan said you admire Ronald McDonald very much!"

Although he was an amnesiac angel and all, even Yuki knew what, or rather, who, Ronald McDonald was. He gave Shuichi an almost maniacal smile, mentally scattering Shuichi's ashes in the Pacific Ocean. "Oh really. I think that you and I need to have a little chat, _Shu-chan_."

Shuichi gulped nervously, emitting nervous laughter. Maybe he shouldn't have gotten the shoes after all.

XXX

"Should I add more?"

"Um I think that's enough, Ryuichi…"

"But there's still some more stuck at the bottom!"

"Look, I admit my culinary skills haven't reached their optimum level but I am certain that chocolate chips aren't supposed to be more than the sugar, butter and flour combined. And stop licking the damned spoon!"

Shuichi stood between a sulking Ryuichi and an aggravated Yuki, hands held out towards the two to separate them. In an admonishing tone, he said, "Now, now kids. You know you're not supposed to play with your food."

"..."

"Shuichi?"

"Yes."

"Do you want the rolling pin stuck down your throat?"

"No."

"Then shut up."

"Okay."

"Besides, what do we even need the rolling pin for?"

"Oh no, Kuma-chan! Naughty, naughty Kuma-chan!"

Yuki mentally groaned at that. He was beginning to suspect Shuichi picked his friends out by their sanity levels. Turning towards Ryuichi, he growled, "Put that fluffy monstrosity away before I toast it."

Ryuichi turned puppy eyes towards him. He whined, "But Kumagoro says he's hungry!" He faced the bunny. "Aren't you, Kuma-chan? Oh that reminds me," he turned back to Yuki, wearing a serious look. Yuki briefly wondered if he was going to stop behaving like a retard. One could hope after all.

"Kuma-chan hasn't been introduced to you yet!"

That was it. Pissed off, Yuki stormed out of the kitchen.

Shuichi called after him, "Aren't you baking anymore, Yuki?"

Yuki tossed back a curt reply without stopping, "If I stay in there any longer, cupcakes aren't the only thing that are going to get baked."

On that note, he disappeared from view, leaving Shuichi to stare after him.

Mentally, he sighed. _Yuki's mad again. Why is he always mad at me? He's already been staying with me for weeks but he still hasn't loosened up…can't I ever do anything right?_ Shaking off his melancholic train of thoughts, he headed back towards the kitchen, where Ryuichi was staring intently at the batter as he whisked it.

Pasting a bright smile on his tired face, Shuichi brightly said, "Well, it looks like it's just me and you now!"

His eyes never leaving the batter, Ryuichi asked, "Where's Yuki-san?"

_Oh, he's morphed to serious Ryuichi mood_. Shuichi was glad for it, in a way. A hyper Ryuichi was fun and helped keep him from brooding too much. Sometimes though, especially at moments like this, he gratefully appreciated a quieter Ryuichi. "Oh, Yuki isn't baking anymore. I think he's out on the balcony."

"Oh…."

For a few minutes, neither of them said anything. Ryuichi suddenly spoke up, softly. "You really like him, don't you?"

Shuichi was running through a list of chores. Distracted, he half-listened. "Huh? Oh, you mean Yuki? I suppose. He's interesting. Really catches people's eye, don't you think?"

Ryuichi shook his head a little. "That's not what I meant. I mean, sure he's eye-catching. I like him too, even though he can be so cold, and so does Kumagoro. But you like him in a different way. "

Confused, Shuichi paid attention to Ryuichi. "What are you - " Realizing what Ryuichi meant, Shuichi's eyes widened and he emphatically shook his head. "Of course I don't like him in that way! He's a guy!"

"I never said he wasn't. So you mean if he was girl, you'd be interested?"

Trapped, Shuichi struggled to find an answer to that. Shooting off the first words that surfaced on his mind, he rambled. "Of course not! Yuki's perfectly fine the way he is! Why would I want him to change…" He trailed off as he realized the true meaning of his own words.

He whipped his head towards Ryuichi to find him studying him with an unfathomable look. "See? Wasn't so hard to figure out, was it?"

Shuichi could only stare at Ryuichi. "You're wrong!"

He couldn't possible like Yuki in that way. He was incapable of getting close to people, and even more incapable of letting people close to him. He couldn't, and wouldn't, let it happen. Never. He uttered the words again, but this time, it came out as a whisper. "You're wrong…."

* * *

By the way, I've just opened a joined account with Infinity Ryen (some of you may have read her stories) due to us having _way _too much time on our hands and even more 'fertile' imagination running haywire during class (Yes, we sit next to each other on ocassion.) Nothing's out yet but the very first chapter of Just an Android will be coming out pretty soon so watch out for it! I hope you shall read, and more importantly, like! lol. That's it for now, and please_ do _review! I noticed the number of reviews have beeen dropping for_ all _my fics. Is my writing skills getting worse or something?? Oh nuoooooooo!! 


	6. Refusing

**Disclaimer**: …Is it really necessary…? I think everyone here knows who owns Gravitation…

* * *

**Heaven's Child**

_**Chapter 5-Refusing**_

Yuki leaned against the railing, looking at the swimming pool below without really watching. Musing over the past few weeks, he had to admit it had been rather eventful.

To think it all started when a certain permanently on sugar-high pipsqueak dropped a cell phone on his head.

He sifted slightly as a breeze tickled his neck. He wasn't in a very good mood today – not that he usually was. He was restless. Oh, it wasn't that he hated staying with Shuichi or anything. He even let the brat get away with sticking wool into his precious hair! That, Yuki realized, was the problem; he let Shuichi get away with practically anything.

Sure he made his displeasure known. A few glares and death threats didn't hurt either. But if he really wanted to, Yuki could have stopped him anytime. All he had to do was up and leave without so much as leaving a note.

But something made him stay. He didn't know what that something was and it aggravated him to no end.

H**is** lips twisted in derision. _Damn. Can't understand what my own head is thinking about anymore. I'm actually having a conversation with myself now. Stupid brain… Wait, I'm not stupid. Must be Shuichi's influence. That idiot. Now I'm even arguing with myself.  
_  
"Oh-hoh. What's gotten your brows into a knot, _Yuki_?"

He didn't even blink. Even with his mind engaged in a rather interesting, albeit pointless, debate with itself, he had felt the presence of the other long ago.

The waves of pulsing energy had been washing over him ever since he stepped out. It was such a comfortable feeling. Dearly familiar, it brought about an ache of longing within his empty heart.

_Shit. Now, it's making me all sappy and sentimental. _Frowning at his inner voice, Yuki told it to shut up before replying, "Like you were actually expecting me to tell you?"

She floated into view. There was no other word for it. Lightly side-stepping past him, she gave the ground a little push and, defying Earth's gravity, levitated herself into the air until she was level with the railing. Then she landed, sitting on the railing.

Noriko twirled a strand of curly purple hair with her forefinger as she leaned over to see what Yuki was watching, her legs dangling carelessly in the air.

Several floors below, a few boys and a little girl were racing towards the pool. They watched as one of the boys gave the little girl a push. The boys all burst out laughing as she gave a startled squeal before splashing into the water, sending sprays of water spurting upwards.

Noriko sighed, eyes wistful as she broke the few moments of silence. "So cute. Kids, the only ones who believe in us. I remember seeing a little one who argued with his parents for saying we don't exist. How sad that they have to grow up **t**hey always stop believing when they do. They **w**on't have time for us anymore, and it'll be all about money, power, and other materialistic things."

Yuki didn't even look at her. He hadn't seen an angel since his punishment had been meted out fifteen years ago, with one exception.

Yuki had seen him in an abandoned building. He had watched as the once radiant being tiredly sank down to slump next to him on the ground. The being hadn't said a word, but Yuki knew what he was, knew he had recognized the blonde as his own kind.

He also knew the angel was dying.

Maybe dying wasn't the accurate word, considering they couldn't die, but he had felt his energy. Its rhythm, so much like a heartbeat, had been dangerously slow. There were voids in the energy field, like it had holes in it. It was dark, and had a rusty feel. Like a ship that had hit an iceberg, the damage was irrecoverable, the holes irreparable. Yuki had known he wouldn't survive the night.

The whole time, Yuki accompanied him, saying nothing. Both understood what was happening.

Before the birds began their morning chirping, the angel had gotten up and walked away, head lifted up high and proud. Yuki supposed he meant to spend his last few moments in private.

Just as dawn broke, Yuki felt the ebbing energy vanish completely, and knew he would never detect that particular signature again.

He had dismissed the memory to the back of his mind, but the feel of Noriko's strong pulse dredged it up, unbidden as it was. He really didn't want to be around **any **angels right now. It was too soon. Maybe he would be ready to face them after some time away. A hundred years sounded appropriate. He should take two hundred just to be safe. Besides, Noriko's voice hurt his ears. Why did she like talking so much?

" – said to get away."

Inwardly sneering at himself for his weak sentimentally, he reined his thoughts and emotions in. He spoke, though it was more of a command. "Say it again."

Noriko glared at him, her usually laughing eyes darkening in annoyance. She demanded, "You got a problem with what I'm saying? I'll have you know this isn't my idea. You were supposed to be left alone until you served your term but considering the current circumstances…

"Anyway, you can't stay here and that's final. You're already suffering from critical damage – and don't even try to deny it. I can feel the fluctuations just by sitting here. It's going to take eons for the healers to patch you up. But you have to leave – staying will only be inviting more complications."

Now _that _he wasn't expecting.

Yuki's razor-sharp tongue had no scathing retort prepared. _They're actually ordering me to leave here. Trust her to actually talk about serious topics just when I'm not listening_. Something was up. It was time to go fishing.

"Give me a good reason why I should leave. You assholes told me to get down to Earth and mingle with humans. All I'm doing is carrying out orders. Just when I'm accepting this, you're telling me to get out. What the hell is Heaven playing at?" Yuki stopped before he started shouting, glaring icily at Noriko. Funny, he had only meant to get the true story out. How did he end up feeling genuinely furious and frustrated?

She watched him silently for a moment, a contemplative look in her eyes. Completely unaffected by Yuki's sudden temper, she watched for a while before shaking her head slowly, curl**s** bouncing softly as she did so.

"Yuki," her voice was unbearably gentle, "I'm sorry but you can't stay with Shuichi. Find someone else and forget him."

Yuki's hands had been resting on the railing. They tightened. Face impassive and voice carefully neutral, he said, "And I suppose you won't even tell me the reason why."

"Yuki…"

"Just answer me."

"…Orders are orders. I'm sorry."

XXX

"This is reality, Shuichi. I'm sorry"

Shuichi didn't look at Ryuichi. He had completely frozen up.

Ryuichi continued whisking. It was coming out nicely - a golden, smooth and creamy texture. "I know you would have been happier to stay ignorant but you can't keep living in denial."

He whipped the whisk in Shuichi's direction as his friend faced him, warning him to stay silent. "You don't have to say anything; I won't tell anybody and what you do is entirely your decision. It's between you and him. Nobody else has any right to interfere. But," his unwavering gaze did not allow Shuichi to look away as he willed Shuichi to understand, "at least try."

"But I – "

" Just try. " He was almost pleading now. "Okay?"

Shuichi couldn't say anything, because a huge lump seemed to have spontaneously formed in his throat. All he could do was nod.

That was enough for Ryuichi. Turning away, he softly said. "Today's conversation never happened."

Once again, Shuichi just nodded though Ryuichi couldn't see with his back facing him. The lump seemed to be permanently lodged in his throat. Not to mention it seemed to have expended at lease thrice its original size.

"Now that that's done, let's start cutting the dough into shapes. I wanna make a carrot shape for Kuma-chan! How about you, Shu-chan? Ah, don't tell me – I want to guess! Hmm…I know! You want a star shape! Right? Right?"

Shuichi managed a weak smile as Ryuichi reverted back to his hyper mode. "We're making cupcakes, Ryuichi. Not cookies."

Ryuichi's tango with Kumagoro around the kitchen screeched to a sudden stop mid-twirl. The look of scandalized disappointment on Ryuichi's face was a most comical picture. "Eh? Why?! I want cookies! Can we make cookies instead?"

Shuichi grin grew at Ryuichi's deadly puppy-eyes attack. "I don't think Ayaka will be very happy if we did that."

Ryuichi's tears instantly evaporated. He excitedly squealed, "Then I'll make a cookie for her too!"

"…That's not the point…"

XXX

Silence reigned.

Noriko watched Yuki sadly, heart breaking. She hated this. She hated Heaven for decreeing this, hated having to be the one to tell Yuki this, hated seeing a human Yuki and most of all, she hated knowing they had no other choice.

"No."

She wanted to cry. Why did he have to make things so hard for her? Still, she couldn't say she hadn't expected this to happen.

She pushed herself off the railing and gracefully landed on the ground. She positioned herself right in front of Yuki, forcing him to have eye contact. Her voice was trembling now.

"Please."

XXX

"See you tomorrow, Shu-chan!"

"Bye-bye!"

Shuichi waved his friend goodbye before closing the door. He was completely worn out. _At least the cupcakes are done now. All that's left is to clear the place up. _

Shuichi stared at the mess in his kitchen. Everything was coated in a fine dust of flour. Stray chocolate chips were melting into a sticky puddle on the floor. Some spilled batter decorated the table, oozing down to join the butter on the chair. Already he could spot ants marching about, ready to begin their picnic.

Wondering where to begin, he grabbed a tablecloth and half-heartedly tried to wipe a stubborn brown stain on the counter. Having no luck, he tossed it onto the table, deciding to do it later. _Looks like it's pizza again tonight. I wonder if Yuki is still out on the balcony._

He checked on the rising cupcakes in the oven one last time before setting off on his search for Yuki.

XXX

Yuki glared at the angel in front of him, irritated beyond belief. She had been staring at him and telling him to leave for ages now. Wasn't she ever going to give up?

He snapped, "Look, I said I'm not leaving. You guys can't give me ridiculous instructions just like that and expect me to go running around saying 'Yes ma'am! No sir!' at the snap of your fingers. All I ever get is orders, orders and more orders. I don't want shitty orders. I want explanations."

Noriko winced.

_What the hell is wrong with her today? Usually, she won't get off her bloody high horse and she'd just snap back with that spunky way of hers if I spoke to her like this._

He groused out, "Is there something on my face you like?"

She didn't say anything. Noriko was staring off into a distance, eyes suddenly glazed over. Occasionally, she nodded, as though agreeing with someone.

She looked at Yuki again. "Nothing's going through. I have to go now, but I'll be back. Listen to me, Yuki. Leave him. Leave Shuichi before it's too late.**"** She seemed to glow brighter for just a moment. "Oh, and by the way," she gave Yuki the cheeky grin he hadn't seen in a long time, "nice hair."

Yuki tried to stop her leaving but only managed to grasp empty air. "Damn," he swore under his breath. Trust her to flounce off like that after throwing him into an abyss of confusion and questions. _Too late? For what?_

"Yuki?"

He almost received a coronary from that uncertain voice. He growled purely out of habit, "What?"

Shuichi stepped into view, a frown on his lips. His amethyst eyes swept past him, taking in every corner of the limited area. He looked at everywhere except Yuki.

Annoyed, Yuki repeated. "What?"

Shuichi still wasn't looking at him. A perplexed expression was written on his face as he shifted. "Where did the angel go?"

Yuki's breath caught. Humans shouldn't have been able to see angels. Choosing his words carefully, he asked, "You know what she is?"

Shuichi looked at Yuki as though he was crazy. Huffily, he said, "I'm not stupid. Although I haven't seen angels since I was a kid, I'd still be able to recognize one. Wonder what she wanted though." He warily eyed Yuki. "How did you know her anyway? Can you see angels too?"

Yuki didn't answer. He was too busy summing up the clues and coming to the conclusion. He muttered, "So this is why they wanted me to stay away from him."

Shuichi grumbled in a sullen tone. "What are you talking about? Clueless person here."

Yuki's eyes fell on Shuichi. He grimly said, "We have to talk."

* * *

Let me think for comments about this chapter…Sorry about the lack of humor…? Really sorry about the late update but I regret to say updates shall be late for the next two or three months…Life is being a total asshole right now…Yup…Feeling really dried out…. Just in case you couldn't tell…Ja… 


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